Reuters Health 2 July 2001 Surgeons Warn of Fireworks Dangers
NEW YORK,  The 4th of July weekend is a busy time in the nation's emergency rooms, where medical teams grapple with injuries from fireworks accidents.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons warns that extreme caution is necessary near any type of fireworks.
In a statement, experts from the Academy noted that they often see devastating injuries in the aftermath of the 4th, including burns to feet when barefoot children step on sparklers, damaged hands when fireworks go off prematurely, and hand and face injuries when revellers try to relight fireworks that appear to have gone out.
Last year, nearly 24,000 fireworks-related injuries were treated by US doctors, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Burns and abrasions topped the list, but fractures and injuries to hands, fingers, and faces are also common.
Overall, the total economic losses, such as medical costs, work days lost and legal fees, from the 1998 set of fireworks injuries added up to more than $450 million.
Rather than burning your money in a private display, why not go to a large public display instead, suggested Dr. William W. Tipton, Jr., executive vice president of the Academy.
"Many communities have free fireworks displays, which are not only colourful, but also safe," he said in the statement.
"It's fascinating that people still aren't getting the message," Dr. Charles Resnick, an orthopaedic surgeon in Los Angeles, California, told Reuters Health.
Resnick described one case of a 12-year-old boy who lost his left hand -- his dominant hand -- to fireworks last year.
"He wanted to take the wick out of the firecracker," said Resnick. "It was a mistake that he learned from. There wasn't a dry eye in the operating room -- including the surgeon." The boy now has a prosthetic limb to replace his hand, and is learning to use his right hand.
If faced with a fireworks injury, Resnick advises the following first aid: Make sure the patient is breathing, apply pressure to control bleeding, and call for an ambulance. But the best advice: "Stay away from firecrackers," the surgeon advised.